Pac-Man (2014 film)
Pac Man is a 2014 American live-action-CGI children's film starring Breckin Meyer, Reiko Aylesworth, Peter Dinklage, Susan Sarandon, Elle Fanning, Logan Lerman and Dean Norris. Also starring as the voices of Ghosts; Bruce McGill as Shadow (Blinky), Ron Perlman as Speedy (Pinky), Bryan Cranston as Bashful (Inky), Ian McShane as Pokey (Clyde) and George Clooney as the voice of Pac-Man. Plot Cast *Breckin Meyer as Pete Gleeson *Reiko Aylesworth as Tori Iwatani *Peter Dinklage as Jason *Susan Sarandon as Natalie Gleeson *Elle Fanning as Cindy *Logan Lerman as Cyrus "Sticks" Stickley *Dean Norris as Mr. Markham *George Clooney as Pac-Man *Bruce McGill as Shadow (Blinky) *Ron Perlman as Speedy (Pinky) *Bryan Cranston as Bashful (Inky) *Ian McShane as Pokey (Clyde) Production Development Writing Casting Filming Distribution Home media Pac Man was released on Digital HD on February 14, 2014. It was released by Warner Home Video on DVD and Blu-ray on June 17, 2014. A special "80's Rock Edition" also includes an exclusive Pac Man and a collectible 3D "The Ghosts" photo. Reaction Box office Pac Man premiered in the United States with a wide theatrical release on November 9, 2014, opening in 2165 cinemas across the country. Grossing $45,271,352 during its opening weekend, the film was considered an instant commercial success. The film eventually earned a total of $165,504,513 at the American box office and an additional $76,675,809 worldwide. Critical reception Pac Man received "nearly unanimous positive reviews". Review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 96% approval rating with an average rating of 8.1/10 based on 200 reviews. The website's consensus reads, "Boasting beautiful animation, a charming voice cast, laugh-a-minute gags, and a surprisingly thoughtful story, The Lego Movie is colorful fun for all ages." On Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 based on reviews from critics, the film has a score of 83 (indicating "universal acclaim") based on 43 reviews. According to CinemaScore polls conducted during the opening weekend, the average grade cinemagoers gave The Lego Movie was A on an A+ to F scale. Filmmaker Edgar Wright and TIME Magazine film critic Richard Corliss have respectively named The Lego Movie as one of their favorite films of 2014. Michael Rechtshaffen of The Hollywood Reporter wrote, "Arriving at a time when feature animation was looking and feeling mighty anemic...The LEGO Movie shows 'em how it's done," with Peter Debruge of Variety adding that Lord and Miller "irreverently deconstruct the state of the modern blockbuster and deliver a smarter, more satisfying experience in its place, emerging with a fresh franchise for others to build upon." Tom Huddleston of Time Out said, "The script is witty, the satire surprisingly pointed, and the animation tactile and imaginative." Drew Hunt of the Chicago Reader said the filmmakers "fill the script with delightfully absurd one-liners and sharp pop culture references", with A. O. Scott of The New York Times noting that, "Pop-culture jokes ricochet off the heads of younger viewers to tickle the world-weary adults in the audience, with just enough sentimental goo applied at the end to unite the generations. Parents will dab their eyes while the kids roll theirs." Elizabeth Weitzman of the New York Daily News said the filmmakers "don't sink into cynicism. Their computer animation embraces the retro look and feel of the toys to both ingenious and adorable effect." Claudia Puig of USA Today called the film "a spirited romp through a world that looks distinctively familiar, and yet freshly inventive." Liam Lacey of The Globe and Mail asked, "Can a feature-length toy commercial also work as a decent kids’ movie? The bombast of the G.I. Joe and Transformers franchises might suggest no, but after an uninspired year for animated movies, The Lego Movie is a 3-D animated film that connects." Joel Arnold of NPR acknowledged that the film "may be one giant advertisement, but all the way to its plastic-mat foundation, it's an earnest piece of work—a cash grab with a heart." Peter Travers of Rolling Stone called the film "sassy enough to shoot well-aimed darts at corporate branding." Michael O'Sullivan of The Washington Post said that, "While clearly filled with affection for—and marketing tie-ins to—the titular product that's front and center, it's also something of a sharp plastic brick flung in the eye of its corporate sponsor." On the negative side, Kyle Smith of the New York Post called the film "more exhausting than fun, too unsure of itself to stick with any story thread for too long." Moira MacDonald of The Seattle Times, while generally positive, found "it falls apart a bit near the end." Alonso Duralde of The Wrap said the film "will doubtless tickle young fans of the toys. It's just too bad that a movie that encourages you to think for yourself doesn't follow its own advice." Glenn Beck praised the film for its themes of individualism that some have paralleled to his affinity for libertarianism, and also for avoiding "the double meanings and adult humor I just hate." On the DVD audio commentary for the film, director Chris Miller said his family members, who are fans of Beck, have urged him to appear on his radio show.